‘Shazam!’ Director Says No Black Adam Was A Missed Opportunity

Will Shazam ever meet his dark half?

Shazam Fury Of The Gods Black Adam Dwayne Johnson

Many fans were disappointed by the lack of Black Adam, the arch-nemesis of Billy Batson, in both the original Shazam! film and its sequel Shazam! Fury of the Gods. A recent interview has Shazam! director David F. Sandberg echoing the sentiment of fans that it was a “missed opportunity.”

To any fan of the comics, the clash of Black Adam and Shazam seemed inevitable. However, after three films in the Shazam! mythos, including a Black Adam spin-off film, the two have yet to even meet. Many fans and insiders attribute this to Dwayne Johnson’s own refusal to appear in the franchise. Regardless of the cause, many fans were left disappointed that their relationship wasn’t meaningfully explored in the DC Universe. When asked if he was among those fans in a recent interview, Sandberg admits he isn’t disappointed, but that it was a missed opportunity:

“No, not really,” Sandberg told The Hollywood Reporter. “The thing about Black Adam is that he has the same powers as Shazam, and we did that in the first movie where we gave Sivana [Mark Strong] the same power. So I don’t think the fight itself would’ve been super interesting, but I do think it’s a missed opportunity. What makes the most sense is to have them fight each other, so it’s money left on the table. But it’s how it is.”

The future of Shazam! in the new DC Universe is unclear. The failure of Black Adam and its own box office falling short of expectations leave fans worrying about the future of the franchise. In stark contrast, Fury of the Gods itself paints a bright future for the Shazam family in the DC Universe. Only time will tell what becomes of the series.

The talent behind the Shazam! sequel

David F. Sandberg directed Shazam! Fury of the Gods from a script written by Henry Gayden and Chris Morgan, Shazam! Fury of the Gods. The film stars Zachary Levi, Asher Angel, Jack Dylan Grazer, Adam Brody, Ross Butler, Meagan Good, D.J. Cotrona, Grace Caroline Currey, Faithe Herman, Ian Chen, Jovan Armand, Marta Millans, Cooper Andrews, Djimon Hounsou, Rachel Zegler, Lucy Liu and Helen Mirren.

The official Shazam! Fury of the Gods synopsis reads as follows: “Bestowed with the powers of the gods, Billy Batson and his fellow foster kids are still learning how to juggle teenage life with having adult Super Hero alter-egos. But when the Daughters of Atlas, a vengeful trio of ancient gods, arrive on Earth in search of the magic stolen from them long ago, Billy—aka Shazam—and his family are thrust into a battle for their superpowers, their lives, and the fate of their world.”

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Anthony Singletary

Anthony Singletary

Anthony has always had a love for stories. An aspiring screenwriter and video editor, he takes pride in connecting fans with the latest heroic news!